Sentence using the word hyperbole

Definition of Hyperbole

an exaggeration or overstatement used to evoke strong feelings

Examples of Hyperbole in a sentence

During the hurricane, it seemed as though the hyperbole, “raining cats and dogs“, was almost accurate.

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“Sitting is the new smoking“ is silly hyperbole used by health journalists to garner attention.

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It seems like everyone and their mother is angry about something right now. (This is hyperbole, as I do not mean literally everyone.)

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Usually the “crazy weather we’re having“ talk is just hyperbole, but the forecasted streak of record-hot temperatures is no untruth.

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Obviously the network is overreacting and engaging in hyperbole when they say “55 million people are in danger!“ for normal thunderstorms.

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When Henry made a hyperbole on the stand, the judge gave him a warning and reminded him to stick to the facts.

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I can say without hyperbole this is the greatest meal I have ever had!

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It would be great if you could simply tell me the basic facts without including a hyperbole of any sort.

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If the politician uses one more hyperbole in his speech, I will know he is exaggerating about all his claims.

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Being that you’re an only child, I can say without hesitation or hyperbole you’re the best daughter I’ve ever had!

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Do you need some hyperbole examples to add to your stock of writing skills?

Are you ready to add excitement and drama to your work?

You can use hyperbole in various ways to make your writing have a bigger impact on readers.

It’s an excellent approach for adding emphasis when no single words are strong enough to evoke the feeling you want your readers to experience.

But if you’re uncertain which hyperboles will add pizazz to your prose, having some examples might get your creative juices a-flowin’!

With our list of hyperbole examples, your next writing piece will be the best piece of writing ever! (See what I did there?)

Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?

Hyperbole Definition

Hyperbole is figurative language or a literary device that uses deliberate and extreme exaggeration to create a strong emotional response from the reader, emphasize a statement, or add a sense of drama.

For example, you might say I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

You couldn’t literally eat an entire horse. Still, you want to emphasize how hungry you are and how enormous your appetite is.

Why Use Hyperbole?

There are many reasons a writer might use hyperbole in their work:

• You could use hyperbole to exaggerate a point.
• You might want to emphasize something about an event, person, or situation.
• You might use it as a rhetorical device to persuade readers to the narrator’s point of view with a more compelling argument.

For example, That copywriting course is the best thing ever to happen to copywriters everywhere.

I mean, the course might be good, but for it to be the best thing ever for copywriters everywhere is hyperbole.

You can also use hyperbole to:

• Make or emphasize a point
• Show contrast between two ideas
• Grab the reader’s attention
• Set the scene for the story
• Add interest to an otherwise bland description
• Add humor to the situation

You do need to be careful not to overuse it in your writing. Hyperbole will lose its effect if everything is hyperbolic.

Examples of Hyperbole from Everyday Speech

We often use hyperbole in everyday speech to make things more dramatic than they really are. Sometimes it’s to be humorous, but occasionally it’s to target other powerful emotions.

Here are a few common examples of hyperbole you’ll find in everyday conversation. How many times have you used any of the following hyperbolic statements?

1. I’m dying of laughter.
2. This box weighs a ton.
3. I haven’t seen him in a million years.
4. Our neighbor is older than dirt.
5. This was the best day ever.
6. I waited in line at the pharmacy forever.
7. She thought she would die of embarrassment.
8. My 16th birthday will never come.
9. This knee brace is killing me.
10. They’ve got more money than God.
11. I have a million things to do this week.
12. Their new house cost a gazillion dollars.
13. When we were younger, we were so poor we didn’t have two cents to rub together.
14. She has tons of makeup.
15. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather.
16. He loves you more than life itself.
17. I’m so angry, I could eat a hat.
18. He was dying of thirst.
19. That baby is the cutest thing ever.
20. There was an ear-splitting shriek.
21. It’s so cold, you’ll get hypothermia the second you step outside.
22. I’m addicted to buying books.
23. I’ve been buried under a mountain of editing.
24. That is the worst thing I’ve ever heard.
25. The chocolate cake was the best cake ever.
26. This assignment is going to be the death of me.

Examples of Hyperbole from Literature

Writers use hyperbole in literature to emphasize character traits or story themes.

But more important, hyperbole grabs the reader’s attention and pulls them into the story.

Let’s dive into some examples.

27. Old Times on the Mississippi by Mark Twain

I was quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.

Obviously, it was an exaggeration to say the narrator’s eyes stuck out that far, but Twain wanted to emphasize the speaker’s fear and shock.

28. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I had to wait in the station for ten days—an eternity.

While we are all familiar with the difficulty of waiting, we also know that waiting for ten days isn’t an eternity, even if it feels like it in the moment.

29. A Man May Tear a Jewel by Bhartrihari

A man may tear a jewel

From a sea monster’s jaws,

Cross a tumultuous sea

Of raging tides,

Or twine garlandwiseA wrathful serpent on his head.

But no man can alter

The thoughts of an obstinate fool.

Bhartrihari wants us to understand how difficult it is to convince someone they are wrong. He says it would be easier to wrestle a sea monster for a jewel or wrap a snake around your head.

30. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

There was a firestorm out there. Dresden was one big flame. The one flame ate everything organic, everything that would burn.

Here Vonnegut uses hyperbole to show the readers how intense and horrifying it was in Dresden right after the World War II bombing.

31. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No. This hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.

Shakespeare uses hyperbole to show how shameful and revolted Macbeth feels after killing King Duncan. He says his hands are so red with blood that washing them in the sea would turn the sea red.

32. As I Walked Out One Evening by W.H. Auden

I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you

Till China and Africa meet,

And the river jumps over the mountain,

And the salmon sing in the street.

Auden uses hyperbole to show us his love is so profound, so great that rivers will jump over mountains.

33. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Molasses buckets appeared from nowhere, and the ceiling danced with metallic light.

Harper Lee uses hyperbole to show how the buckets seemed to appear from thin air.

Examples of Hyperbole from Film & TV

Hyperbole in movies and tv makes for memorable lines we quote repeatedly. How many of these lines from film have you used in your life?

34. Toy Story

To infinity and beyond!

35. Elf

You did it! Congratulations! World’s best cup of coffee. Great job, everybody.

36. A Christmas Story

(Ralphie) I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle! 

(Mother Parker) No. [You’ll] Shoot your eye out.

37. Love Story

Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

38. Despicable Me

A unicorn! He’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!

39. 101 Dalmatians

I’m hungry, Mother, I’m hungry…I’m so hungry I could eat a whole elephant!

40. The Sandlot

(Ham) You want a s’more? (Smalls) I haven’t had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?

(Ham) You’re killin’ me, Smalls!

41. Beauty and the Beast

When I was a lad, I ate 4 dozen eggs every morning to help me get large. And now that I’m grown, I eat 5 dozen eggs, so I’m roughly the size of a barge.

42. From The Princess Bride

You mocked me once. Never do it again! I died that day! You can die, too, for all I care!

43. Titanic

I’m king of the world!

44. Gone With the Wind

As God is my witness, I’ll never go hungry again.

45. Old Spice Advertising

Remember those wild Old Spice commercials with fast-moving and over-the-top imagery that kept you glued to the TV and hanging on to every word?

Like this one:

This is by design.

You see, visual hyperbole in advertising is crazy-effective at gaining our attention and showcasing product features and benefits, at least that’s what the science says.

Not only does visual hyperbole make the ad entertaining, but the humorous effect leaves a strong impression that helps you remember the product too.

Talk about a win-win.

Examples of Hyperbole from Songs

Hyperbole helps songwriters paint a vivid picture for the listener. Here are some examples you might find familiar.

46. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

But I would walk five hundred miles

And I would walk five hundred more

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles

To fall down at your door

47. I’d Lie for You (And That’s the Truth) by Meatloaf

I’d lie for you, and that’s the truth.

Do anything you ask me to

I’d even sell my soul for you

I’d do it all for you

If you just believe in me.

48. Grenade by Bruno Mars

I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

You know I’d do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)

49. Blank Space by Taylor Swift:

Boys only want love if it’s torture

Don’t say I didn’t say, I didn’t warn ya

50. It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls

It’s raining men, hallelujah

It’s raining men, every specimen

Tall, blonde, dark, and lean

Rough and tough and strong and mean

51. So Happy I Could Die by Lady Gaga

Happy in the club, with a bottle of red wineStars in our eyes ’cause we’re having a good time

Eh-eh, eh-eh

So happy I could die

52. Cry Me a River by Ella Fitzgerald

Now you say you’re lonely

You cried the long night through

Well, you can cry me a river

Cry me a river

I cried a river over you

53. Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack

Strumming my pain with his fingers

Singing my life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

Killing me softly with his song

Telling my whole life with his words

Killing me softly with his song

54. Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks

I’ve got friends in low places

Where the whiskey drowns

And the beer chases my blues away

And I’ll be okay

Related Terms

Hyperbole is sometimes confused with similes, metaphors, or idioms.

Simile and metaphor are literary terms used for comparisons, idioms are unique expressions, and hyperbole uses dramatic exaggeration to make a point.

Hyperbole vs. Simile

A simile uses the words like or as to make a comparison, but the comparison lacks the exaggeration of hyperbole.

Let’s look at the following simile.

Her smile was as bright as the sun. 

It’s a bit of an exaggeration as nothing is as bright as the sun. But the point is made that she has a bright, engaging smile. And it’s not an unexpected comparison.

Now, look at a similar sentence using hyperbole.

That smile could move mountains. (Kylie Scott)

Now that is an exaggerated, attention-grabbing statement of hyperbole. After all, while one’s smile might be dazzling, it’s never going to move mountains.

Hyperbole vs. Metaphor

The difference between hyperbole and a metaphor is subtle but significant.

Hyperbole uses exaggeration to describe something, while metaphors use one thing to represent something else.

For example, if I were to say, It’s the North Pole out there, you’d know that I’m comparing how cold it is outdoors to the frigid temperatures of the North Pole.

Now consider this tale from Paul Bunyan.

Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue.

Paul uses deliberate and comedic exaggeration to describe just how cold that winter was.

Hyperbole vs. Idiom

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is unclear based on the words used.

For example, if you say, I’m going to hit the sack, most people will know that you aren’t literally beating up cloth bags. They understand that it’s an expression meaning you are going to bed.

On the other hand, hyperbole is an exaggeration used to emphasize a point. For example, I’m so tired I need toothpicks to hold my eyes open. We all know it to be an exaggerated statement calling attention to how tired you are.

Are You Ready to Use These Hyperbole Examples In Your Writing?

These hyperbole examples are an excellent resource for your creative writing endeavors.

The next time you need to add a flashy or gripping element to your story, you can turn to hyperbole to reel your readers in and keep them hooked.

Whether you’re writing poetry or songs or the next Great American Novel, adding hyperbole to your work can make it the best thing since the invention of sliced bread.

Which hyperbole will you use first?

Hyperbole Definition: A hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration used in writing for effect.

What is the definition of hyperbole? A hyperbole is a type of figurative language. Therefore, a hyperbole is not meant to be taken literally. A hyperbole is an overstatement that exaggerates a particular condition for emphasis.

Example of Hyperbole

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

This example of hyperbole exaggerates the condition of hunger to emphasize that the subject of this sentence is, in fact, very hungry.

This person has no intention of literally eating a horse but is trying to figuratively communicate his hunger using a hyperbole for effect (see literally vs. figuratively).

Modern Examples of Hyperbole

Hyperboles are commonly used in writing, but they are also frequently used in everyday language. Some common hyperbole examples include:

• I’m dying of laughter.
  • The subject is not literally dying but is using hyperbole to figuratively communicate how hard he is laughing.
• This package weighs a ton.
  • The package does not literally weigh a ton. This sentence uses hyperbole to exaggerate the weight of the very heavy package.
• I haven’t seen Jamien in ages.
  • Ages have not literally past since the subject has seen Jamien. The subject is figuratively stating that he hasn’t seen Jamien in a very long time.

As you can see from these examples, the meaning of hyperbole is clear, and it is also clear that hyperbolic statements are not meant to be taken literally. They are hyperbolic by their very nature.

The Importance and Function of Hyperbole

Hyperboles are used in speech and writing for effect. The embellishment that a hyperbole creates brings particular attention to that thought or idea. Hyperboles are not meant to be taken literally, but stand out and create emphasis.

Hyperboles, however, should be used sparingly in writing and in speech. The reason being the intention is to bring attention to a particular concept. If hyperboles are overused, a “boy who cried wolf” situation occurs, and the hyperbole loses effect.

This is to say, if every sentence were a hyperbole, the audience would not take the writer or speaker seriously. They would be desensitized to all of the exaggerations.

However, when a hyperbole is used appropriately, its effect is purposeful and emphatic, causing the reader to pay attention to that particular point.

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Hyperbole in literature is used for emphasis or effect.

Hyperbole Example in Literature

Mark Twain wrote in “Old Times on the Mississippi”:

• “I was helpless. I did not know what in the world to do. I was quaking from head to foot, and could have hung my hat on my eyes, they stuck out so far.”

Here, Twain utilizes hyperbole to explain a state of being. In this excerpt, the speaker felt incredibly helpless and wracked with nerve. The speaker’s eyes were not literally sticking out, but Twain uses hyperbole to communicate just how helpless was the speaker’s state.

Hyperbole Example in Literature

Paul Bunyan is a famous tale in American folklore. The tale itself is a hyperbole (from Bunyan’s extreme size to his magnificent blue ox). A specific example from this tale includes:

• “Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue.”

Clearly, none of these things actually occurred and this statement is not to be taken literally. Here, hyperbole is used for comedic effect and to communicate that the winter was a particularly cold one.

Hyperbole Example in Literature

Josef Conrad’s Heart of Darkness utilizes a hyperbole to exaggerate time.

• “I had to wait in the station for ten days—an eternity.”

“Ten days” is not literally “an eternity.” However, for this character, ten days felt like an incredibly long time, as indicated through the hyperbole.

Summary

What is a hyperbole? Hyperboles are used throughout literature, poetry, and even in speech.

In summary, what does hyperbole mean? Hyperboles are,

• extreme exaggerations
• used for emphasis/effect
• figurative language
• used sparingly with purpose

Contents

• 1 What is Hyperbole?
• 2 Modern Examples of Hyperbole
• 3 The Importance and Function of Hyperbole
• 4 Examples of Hyperbole in Literature
• 5 Summary

1 He’s not usually given to hyperbole.

2 American humor is founded largely on hyperbole.

3 It was not hyperbole to call it the worst storm in twenty years.

4 This astonishing performance produced a gush of hyperbole.

5 This is the metaphor gone beyond hyperbole into simile.

6 Some cynics might dismiss such statements as cosmic hyperbole.

7 Twenty-four hours until kick-off and the hyperbole was drifting out of control.

8 Buried somewhere in all that hyperbole is a good deal of truth.

9 Hyperbole is a way of life in the culinary world, much to its detriment.

10 One might forgive the hyperbole in a politician but it is less easy to take from academic or journalistic critics.

11 Rick said, with a touch of hyperbole,[www.Sentencedict.com] that it was the best movie he’d ever seen.

12 Hyperbole, perhaps, but this meeting of two of world football’s traditionally strongest sides should none the less prove highly informative.

13 She appropriated slapstick and hyperbole to the delicious purpose of lampooning the fathead who made her life miserable.

14 Already the hyperbole was out of all proportion compared to the evidence.

15 It is only slight hyperbole to say that Roy Disney averted a cultural tragedy.

16 But the hyperbole is fast becoming reality.

17 Instead, recruitment is often an orgy of hyperbole.

18 The phrase is of course a hyperbole.

19 Mr Murdoch was unwise to indulge in adolescent hyperbole.

20 The film is being promoted with all the usual hyperbole.

21 The blurb on the back of the book was full of the usual hyperbole — ‘enthralling’, ‘fascinating’ and so on.

22 Sentence 9, on the other hand, can be seen as a sort of ironic hyperbole: Arthur is paranoiac.

23 The unfinished and unpublished memoirs of Farini are replete with such hyperbole.

24 You get upset in the most florid ways, the most extreme hyperbole.

25 This truth is revealed in a style totally lacking in rancor or hyperbole, both of which would often be warranted.

26 The employees are the real test of whether an involvement program is substantive and effective or mere hyperbole and atmospherics.

27 When the Democrats convene in Chicago later this month, they will try to equal or surpass the Republican hyperbole.

28 Rick Perry, the Texas commissioner of agriculture, is a rancher with an aversion to hyperbole.

29 While Brown touted initiatives created in his tenure, some of the speech was laced with hyperbole.

30 That seemed a sober judgment not even verging on hyperbole.

Definition of Hyperbole

Hyperbole is a figure of speech and literary device that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration. Hyperbole is often a boldly overstated or exaggerated claim or statement that adds emphasis without the intention of being literally true. In rhetoric and literature, hyperbole is often used for serious, comic, or ironic effects.

For example, lyrics to The Ballad of Davy Crockett by Thomas W. Blackburn contain hyperbole:

Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so he knew ev’ry tree
Kilt him a be ‘are [bear] when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier

The audience isn’t supposed to believe that this character truly knew “every tree” or that he literally killed a bear when he was “only three.” Instead, hyperbole is used to exaggerate Davy Crockett’s frontier experience and make him seem larger than life. Hyperbole is a frequently used literary device in tall tales, legends, and folk stories. The audience is aware that such claims are to emphasize the traits of the characters and not to be taken literally.

Common Examples of Hyperbole in Everyday Speech

Many people use hyperbole as a figure of speech to make something seem larger or more important than it actually is. Such exaggeration or distortion can help express strong emotion, emphasize a point, or even evoke humor. Here are some common examples of hyperbole in everyday speech:

• I’m so hungry that I could eat a horse.
• That purse looks like it cost a million dollars.
• I Love You to the moon and back.
• He feels buried under a mountain of work.
• I’m dying of thirst.
• That dog is the cutest thing alive.
• She loves him more than life itself.
• This suitcase weighs a ton.
• He heard an ear-splitting shriek.
• This race is going to be the death of me.
• I’m so tired that I could sleep for a week.
• That song is the worst thing I have ever heard.
• This room is so cold that I’m getting hypothermia.
• i am addicted to skateboarding.
• She is more beautiful than the moon and stars.

Examples of Hyperbole in Advertising

Many advertising campaigns and slogans feature hyperbole as a way to attract customers to their products. Here are some examples of hyperbole in well-known advertisements:

• When you’re here, you’re family. (Olive Garden)
• Breakfast of champions (Wheaties)
• The king of beers (Budweiser)
• The best a man can get (Gillette)
• When there is no tomorrow (FedEx)
• Nothing runs like a Deere. (John Deere)
• Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name. (Meow Mix)
• Taste the rainbow (Skittles)
• america runs on Dunkin’ (Dunkin’ Donuts)
• Red Bull gives you wings (Red Bull)

Famous Examples of Hyperbole in Movie Lines

Hyperbole is effective in creating movie lines that are humorous and/or dramatic, which makes them memorable as well for the audience. Here are some famous examples of hyperbole in well-known movie lines:

• Love means never having to say you’re sorry. (Love Story)
• I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal weight. (The Devil Wears Prada)
• I’m the king of the world! (Titanic)
• As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again (Gone with the Wind)
• To infinity and beyond! (Toy Story)
• I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore! (Network)
• You sit on a throne of lies. (Elf)
• Can I use the facilities? Because being pregnant makes me pee like Seabiscuit! (Juno)
• You can’t! It’s impossible! I’m far too busy, so ask me now before I again become sane. (The Incredibles)
• What is this? A school for ants? (Zoolander)
• There are only three ages for women in Hollywood: babe, district attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy. (The First Wives Club)
• The best thing about visiting the President is the food! Now, since it was all free, and I wasn’t hungry but thirsty, I must’ve drank me fifteen Dr. Peppers. (Forrest Gump)
• You’ll shoot your eye out. (A Christmas Story)
• We are going to pull off the true crime of the century. We are going to steal the moon! (Despicable Me)

Difference Between Hyperbole and Overstatement

Hyperbole and overstatement are often used interchangeably, and they can serve as synonyms for each other. However, overstatement and hyperbole have subtle differences in their use and intended effect. An overstatement is an exaggeration or a statement in excess of what most would consider reasonable. A hyperbole is also an exaggeration, yet it is often more extreme than an overstatement and its intended effect is as a literary or rhetorical device. Both overstatement and hyperbole are figures of speech and are not meant to be understood literally. Hyperbole, however, is utilized as a device in literature and rhetoric, not just a form of figurative language.

Difference Between Metaphor and Hyperbole

Metaphor and hyperbole are commonly used literary devices. A writer uses metaphor to compare things with some other persons or things. At times, it is an unusual comparison. Sometimes it seems overstatement which is not meant normally. In the case of hyperbole, it is different because its usage is meant to exaggerate and not take the thing or idea literally. The statement that his words are music could be an overstatement but not always. Hence it is a metaphor. However, to say that his words are the greatest melody that was ever heard is an exaggeration and this is hyperbole, which is always meant to exaggerate things.

Using Hyperbole in Satire

As hyperbole is meant to overstate and exaggerate things, it is also meant to bring humor. Therefore, using hyperbole in satire makes things or ideas or persons larger than life or lesser than life with exaggeration or even understatement. Satire also works on the same lines that it has two premises and the first one is based on a story with some overstatement and exaggeration such as Jonathan Swift does in Gulliver Travels.

Use of Hyperbole in Sentences

1. Although most of Henry’s statements are straightforward, they have some substance as he himself is the embodiment of the judiciary.
2. Sarah’s laughter could bring the entire building crashing.
3. Lifting a toddler, Rohan teased ‘You are as light as a feather’.
4. Why don’t you walk faster? You’re as slow as a tortoise.
5. Didn’t I tell you a million times not to leave the dishes in the sink without cleaning your plate?

Examples of Hyperbole in Literature

Hyperbole is effective as a literary device in many ways. By exaggerating something in an extreme way, whether it is a character’s traits, writer’s tone, theme, or idea, hyperbole can capture a reader’s attention. In addition, it can cause the reader to question a narrator’s reliability, reflect on the writer’s true intention, or provide a level of absurd humor for entertainment.

Here are some examples of hyperbole in literature and its effect as a literary device:

Example 1: A Modest Proposal (Jonathan Swift)

I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust.

Swift’s satirical essay reflects his view of the oppressive policies and attitudes toward Ireland and the poor on the part of the British people and overall aristocracy in the early eighteenth century. This is one of the most famous hyperbolic passages in literature, as Swift suggests selling and using Irish children as a food source to relieve the economic plight of the Irish people. Of course, this “proposal” is a figure of speech and intended as an extreme exaggeration rather than a literal solution. However, the practical and almost casual tone with which Swift delivers his hyperbole is as shocking for readers as what he appears to be suggesting. As a literary and rhetorical device in the essay, hyperbole achieves a serious and ironic effect for the reader.

Satirists often rely on hyperbole to emphasize a point and focus a reader’s attention on a socio-political or economic problem. Unfortunately, there were people in Swift’s time that made a literal interpretation of his modest proposal. This caused a backlash among certain members of the aristocracy due to their misunderstanding of his hyperbole. However, for a modern audience, rather than discounting Swift’s essay as something ridiculous, his hyperbolic proposal achieves its intended effect by causing the reader to reflect on the underlying problems that would result in such a dramatic literary essay–both in Swift’s time and today.

Example 2: Sonnet 147 (William Shakespeare)

My love is as a fever, longing still
For that which longer nurseth the disease,
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,
Th’ uncertain sickly appetite to please.
My reason, the physician to my love,
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept,
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve
Desire is death, which physic did except.
Past cure I am, now reason is past care,
And, frantic-mad with evermore unrest,
My thoughts and my discourse as madmen’s are,
At random from the truth vainly expressed.
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.

In this Shakespearean sonnet, the poet utilizes hyperbole as a literary device to describe his love and desire for his beloved. The poet exaggerates his feelings to the point of claiming that they make him ill and mad beyond cure. Shakespeare realizes that his audience understands that the poet does not literally mean what he is saying. However, the sentiment behind such hyperbole can be interpreted in two ways.

First, readers can interpret the hyperbolic lovesickness as the poet’s method of describing the way infatuation and desire, especially if unrequited, rob people of their reason and logic. This passion and preoccupation can figuratively feel like illness or madness that grows exponentially and is without a cure. In this sense, the intended effect of hyperbole as a literary device would be relatively serious. Second, readers can interpret this hyperbolic lovesickness as the poet’s way of ironically expressing how people feel when infatuated or impassioned. In this case, Shakespeare would be satirizing such love and romantic poetry as well through hyperbole, emphasizing the significance of the final couplet.

Example 3: The Foreigner (Larry Shue)

ELLARD. That’s my favorite name. If I ever catch me that chipmunk,
that’s what he’s gonna be— Buddy the chipmunk.
CATHERINE. Ellard, you couldn’t catch a chipmunk if all its legs were
broken and it was glued to the palm of your hand.

In Shue’s play, the character Catherine utilizes hyperbole to reveal to the audience her perception of her brother’s intelligence and ability. Such an extremely exaggerated statement not only indicates the witty humor of the playwright but also creates an absurd and memorable image for the audience. In this case, Shue’s hyperbolic dialogue is designed for comic effect and to showcase the personality traits of the characters onstage. Literary devices such as hyperbole are valuable in dramatic literary works that are meant to be performed for an audience. Hyperbole allows the playwright to emphasize aspects of certain characters and their relationship to each other. This enhances the audience’s understanding of the play and the writer’s intended meaning.

Synonyms of Hyperbole

As hyperbole is a literary device, no word conveys the same meanings. The following are the closest synonyms of Hyperbole: exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, overplaying, excess, overkill, or puffery.

A hyperbole is a figure of speech that deliberately exaggerates a part of your statement to bring it under spotlight. They’re used mainly for emphasizing a point and highlighting difference between two things.

This post covers more than 100 examples of hyperbole categorized under increasing level of difficulty: beginner to advanced.

More resources on hyperbole:

• What is hyperbole and how to write it in step-by-step way?

While going through the examples that follow, pay attention to how the hyperbole exaggerates. My comments that go with examples are in square brackets.

Beginner-level hyperboles

Kids and other beginners can start with writing hyperboles that require absolute words such as most, best, worst, none, never, all, always, everything, and so on, which almost always exaggerate the situation. In the examples below, absolute words that make the sentence a hyperbole have been highlighted.

1. He is always on his mobile. [Comment: One can’t be always on phone.]

2. This is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard. [In rare case, it could be, but mostly it’ll be an exaggeration.]

3. He knows everything about Covid-19.

4. He never stopped complaining about his workplace.

5. There can’t be anything cuter than this cat.

6. This is the easiest exam in the world.

7. It’s the best day of my life.

8. This is the best restaurant in the world.

9. New York City never sleeps.

10. The two hours I spent watching that movie were the worst two hours of my life.

11. At one point, the longest ever tennis match, played between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, seemed that it would never end.

12. Novak Djokovic was invincible in Grand Slams in 2021.

13. You and Scully seem to have no meeting point, much like parallel lines.

14. Little Truman had a voice so high it could only be detected by a bat. Tennessee Williams on Truman Capote

15. Goodness is the only investment that never fails. Henry David Thoreau

16. A flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

17. A tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. Washington Irving

Such hyperboles can be written by stretching the attribute you want to hyperbolize to ridiculous level. Examples:

18. While making the omelette, I puffed it so much that it hit the ceiling. [Ordinarily, the omelette would’ve puffed few centimeters. You stretch this attribute to a ridiculous height.]

19. Kids are so overloaded these days. Just look at their bags; they weigh a ton. [Regular bags weigh in kilograms, but here the weight has been stretched to a ridiculous level, a ton.]

20. He has ice in his veins. [Coolness has been stretched to ice.]

21. He hit the ball so hard that it landed on moon.

22. She can pull off complex multiplications in a blink. [Anyone would normally take at least few minutes to pull off complex multiplications, but here the time taken has been stretched to just a blink.]

23. You speak so loudly. You can be heard from miles.

24. I’ve so much to study for the exam. It’ll take years to finish.

25. The AC’s cold blast froze my blood.

26. The car cost me millions.

27. We should be partners for the next seven lives.

28. The meeting went on for what seemed like an eternity.

29. The new rules are taking forever to complete.

30. I had to finally switch off the fan as it threatened to blow me away. [Blowing papers has been stretched to blowing a person.]

31. Your decrepit furniture seems to be from Jurassic era. [A decade or two has been stretched to millions of years.]

32. The child cried a river and drowned the place. [Tears have been stretched to a river.]

33. I tried golf thousand times, but in the end, I couldn’t learn it.

34. I was scared to death.

35. He stared through my soul.

36. My new shoes, little bit tight, are killing me. [Discomfort has been stretched to killing.]

37. Your gaming laptop seems to be worth its weight in gold.

38. I’m dead tired; I can sleep for days.

39. I called you thousand times yesterday, but because you didn’t pick up, I cancelled my plan.

40. I know every line of the novel; I’ve read it hundred times.

41. I could smell freshly-baked apple pie from miles.

42. I’m dying of hunger.

43. I searched every corner of the city to find you.

44. There are thousand reasons why our trains are rarely on time.

45. We’re meeting after ages.

46. I’ve walked thousand miles to meet you.

47. Come on, get up! Even a 5-year-old would. You aren’t hurt as bad as you think.

48. Quick! I’ve million other things to do.

49. I’ll die without you.

Advanced-level hyperboles

You can write advanced hyperboles by replacing the stretched attribute we saw in intermediate-level hyperboles with an unlike thing. The more striking and imaginative your unlike thing is, the better your hyperbole is. Examples:

50. There are more reasons to get vaccinated against Covid virus than the number of people who died because of the virus.

[An intermediate-level version of this hyperbole would be: There are thousand reasons to get vaccinated against Covid virus. The advanced-level hyperbole compares number of reasons with an unlike thing – number of people who died because of the virus – and requires bit more thinking than stretching 4-5 reasons to thousand. Note that the fundamental of stretching to a ridiculous level holds in advanced-level hyperboles as well.]

51. Your smile is more infectious than Covid virus. [Infectiousness of Covid virus is strikingly different from infectiousness of smile.]

52. He ran faster than cheetah to fetch wine from the nearby grocery store. [This isn’t a particularly good hyperbole because comparing a human runner with cheetah has been overused. In other words, comparison isn’t very striking.]

53. She is as lean as a toothpick. [This too has been overused, and hence it’s not a good one.]

54. You sneezed so loudly that the vase on the table shook.

55. You’ve the memory of a wild elephant.

56. Your smelly socks can kill a rat.

57. On hearing the result, I was motionless as a corpse.

58. He talks like a bullet train.

59. I would prefer Titanic to this helicopter. [This one is a paraphrase from the movie Mysterious Island. The helicopter looked well past its utility.]

60. Your mouth smells like the mouth of a carnivore.

61. The spot on your collar is as big as an island on Amazon.

62. The mole on your forearm is bigger than a saucer.

63. You can beat a photocopier at copying assignments in both speed and resemblance.

64. The manager then exploded like dozen hand grenades, giving piece of his mind to those present. [You could’ve also stretched the manager’s explosive outburst to a nuclear bomb or a volcano.]

65. She is so slim that she can pass through the eye of a needle.

66. You drive more recklessly than a man drunk on a bottle of whiskey.

67. Monkeys, which seem to be as abundant as salt in the sea, have been a menace in this town.

68. It’s difficult to get rid of cockroaches. They’re as many as stars in the galaxy.

69. I couldn’t eat the meal because it was as cold as an iron rod in freezing winter.

70. You’re as ageless as the redwood trees in California.

71. My phone rang with what seemed like police siren.

72. To be in time for the show, he drove faster than a Formula-1 race car.

73. The journalists fired rapid-fire questions at the Governor like a machine gun.

74. Your necklace sparkles brighter than the sun.

75. My school band was as famous as the Beatles in 60s.

76. The car has gotten so hot that I can make an omelette on the bonnet.

77. This smoothie is used oil compared to the smoothie you make.

78. He is like a grenade with the pin pulled, ready to go off any time.

79. I felt as lonely in the new city as Lystrosaurus felt more than 250 million years ago when almost everything died on the planet.

80. You leave a mile-wide trail of personal data on the internet for advertisers to exploit. [An intermediate-level version of this hyperbole would be: You leave a bazillion amount of personal data on the internet for advertisers to exploit.]

81. His song was so jarring that it shattered windowpanes. [A less striking hyperbole would be: His song was so jarring that everyone left the room.]

82. Surprise quiz in this course is as inevitable as death.

83. The food was so delicious that I almost ate my fingers.

84. Your expressions during the play were as animated as a suit on a hanger.

85. His voice was so melodious that we dozed off.

86. In these clothes, you’re looking like a monkey in dinner jacket.

87. His joke was as gross as a cockroach in soup.

88. During probation period, I felt like a bug under the microscope.

89. I felt as abandoned as a used Kleenex.

90. You’re such a chatterbox that even walls get tired listening to you. [A beginner-level version of this hyperbole would be: You’re such a chatterbox that no one wants to listen to you.]

91. The size of serving in your restaurant is like serving a mouse to a hungry lion.

92. You dance worse than popcorn in a machine.

93. The fun & frolic was as boisterous as the stormy sea.

94. It was so cold that even polar bears were shivering.

95. I nearly died laughing.

96. The leaping catch by the fielder took my breath away.

97. She was so mad that she was spitting fire.

98. Your handwriting seems to be the walk of an ant with its legs dipped in ink.

99. The commander’s shout to his unit shook the earth.

100. Your oversized skirt can be used as a tent.

101. It’s so hot here. I feel as if I’m in an oven.

“You there my friend are a true king,” and here hyperbole is what we are inferring. Puzzled and looking for hyperbole meaning? Well, an example from daily life will make it easier for you to connect. 

Have you ever used “ROFL” in your text message? Surely, you must have used it. ROFL indicates that you laughed a lot after listening to a joke or something. But, if you go by its literal meaning, it says rolling on the floor laughing. 

So did you actually roll on the floor? No, right. This is what we call hyperbole. 

Interestingly, the word hyperbole is derived from a Greek word meaning “excess”. 

Hyperbole means exaggeration used in a sentence to make it more effective. It is a rhetorical and literary device used by an author or speaker for emphasis and effect. For example:

Today, the weather is so hot that I can boil an egg without a burner. 

Here, you cannot boil an egg under the sun without a burner, right? Thus, “I can boil an egg without a burner” is an exaggeration used for emphasizing the high temperature during the day. 

Is it a comparison? If so, then it might be a simile or metaphor. Does it mean hyperbole is similar to a simile or metaphor? Actually no, hyperbole and simile, both are figures of speech but are different.

For example:

He stood strong like a pillar. (Simile)

Robert met his childhood friend after ages. (Hyperbole)

Simile involves a direct comparison between two, unlike things. But, a simile or metaphor can be used as hyperbole.

For example:

She is as heavy as an elephant. (It’s a simile used as a hyperbole).

The further you read, the more interesting hyperbole will become.

Hyperbole meaning  

Though until now, you pretty much have understood the hyperbole explanation. Before learning a well-versed hyperbole definition, it’s important to pronounce the word right. 

Here’s how hyperbole pronunciation goes: high-purr-bo-lee.

Now, how does literature define hyperbole? 

Hyperbole is defined as a figure of speech in which an author or speaker deliberately exaggerates to an extreme, which is not meant to be taken literally. 

Because figurative speeches if taken by the literal meaning, this is how it will sound:

Ryan is so hungry he could eat a horse.

The literal meaning, Ryan wants to eat a horse, but that’s not what the speaker wants to emphasize. Instead, the speaker wants to portray that Ryan is really hungry and that he might eat a lot. 

Hyperbole examples with explanation

You will be reading some hyperbole sentences, try to figure out the exaggeration used in these examples. 

1. My father is older than a hill. 

Here, the sentence says that the father is extremely old, a hill is used to emphasize the father’s age.

1. This luxurious car must have cost you a bazillion dollars.

Here, the sentence says the luxurious-looking car must be expensive, a bazillion dollar is used to emphasize the car price. 

1. Ryan complained he had a ton of homework. 

Here, the sentence says Ryan has a lot of homework, a ton is used to emphasize the amount of homework.

1. Liza said, “It’s been ages since I have had pizza.” 

Here, the sentence says Liza didn’t eat pizza for many days, and ages are used to emphasize the duration between now and the last time she had pizza. 

Similarly, you will come across many examples and sentences, which you must be using in your daily life without knowing that it’s hyperbole.

Examples in Literature 

Hyperbole in literature is used in a poem, novels, and fictional writing to add color to a character or humor to a story. Here’s a glimpse of hyperbole examples from the literature.

Macbeth (By William Shakespeare) From William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act II, Scene II:

“Neptune’s ocean wash this blood

Clean from my hand? No. This my hand will rather

The multitudinous seas incarnadine,

Making the green one red.”

This is what it infers, Macbeth feels guilty after killing the king. He regrets his sin, and believes that even the oceans of the greatest magnitude cannot wash the blood of the king off his hands. 

As I Walked One Evening (By W. H. Auden)

“I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you

Till China and Africa meet,

And the river jumps over the mountain

And the salmon sing in the street,

I’ll love you till the ocean

Is folded and hung up to dry.”

The use of hyperbole in the above lines is: – the meeting of China and Africa, the jumping of the river over the mountain, the singing of salmon in the street, and the ocean being folded and hung up to dry. All of these are exaggerations, which is not possible in real life.

The Adventures of Pinocchio (By C. Colloid)

“He cried all night, and dawn found him still there, though his tears had dried and only hard, dry sobs shook his wooden frame. But these were so loud that they could be heard by the faraway hills …”

The crying of Pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of Hyperbole.

Significance

The hyperbole figure of speech is different from other figurative speeches, but you can find plenty of hyperbole in idiom or simile as a hyperbole. 

It is used for emphasis and effect. These are implemented in speech and writings to bring particular attention to that thought or idea. 

The writers or authors use hyperbole to create an amusing effect or to portray something with intensity. But, hyperboles cannot be used in formal writing, it’s considered inappropriate. Something that demands clarity and precision, shouldn’t have any exaggeration. On the other side of the page, if you are seeking to add some color or effect in your writing from fictional to poetry, hyperbole is what you need.